Horse oncoming on single country lane?
Discussion
Hopefully you lot can advise me on what is the correct way to go about oncoming horses on a road that's not much wider than one and a half cars.
I was driving down a back road and came to a bank which I met an oncoming car so had to reverse into a farmer's driveway. But when I finally made it down, a horse rider came round the corner so naturally I slowed down to a crawling pace. But I'm too far down the bank to reverse all the way back up and there's no passing points. Just hedges either side.
Now I know you're supposed to give a couple of metres but there literally wasn't a way to do so.
The rider was giving me filthy looks as I squeezed past with about 3 inches to spare and my nearside mirror scraping off the hedges. Presumably the car I had to back up for had passed the rider also but this has got me thinking what happens when you're in a less than ideal circumstance like this?
She was going a bit crazy when I finally got past and could see her in my rear view mirror.
So if I'm unlucky enough to encounter this in the future, what should I do?
I was driving down a back road and came to a bank which I met an oncoming car so had to reverse into a farmer's driveway. But when I finally made it down, a horse rider came round the corner so naturally I slowed down to a crawling pace. But I'm too far down the bank to reverse all the way back up and there's no passing points. Just hedges either side.
Now I know you're supposed to give a couple of metres but there literally wasn't a way to do so.
The rider was giving me filthy looks as I squeezed past with about 3 inches to spare and my nearside mirror scraping off the hedges. Presumably the car I had to back up for had passed the rider also but this has got me thinking what happens when you're in a less than ideal circumstance like this?
She was going a bit crazy when I finally got past and could see her in my rear view mirror.
So if I'm unlucky enough to encounter this in the future, what should I do?
MikeM6 said:
Rozzers said:
Stop and let the horse pass you.
I'm really surprised this even needed to be said!Why wouldn't you just stop and let the horse safely pass?
NAAHD said:
Never occurred to me as I've never been in the situation to be honest. Just knew the slow and wide thing you're taught for your test but I just thought 1-2mph and clutch down would be the way. But I know for future ??
Horses can get spooked by a carrier bag... they're big animals too.Best advice, as above, is stop and stop the engine too. The horse, if it's a brave one, will slowly walk past.
NDA said:
NAAHD said:
Never occurred to me as I've never been in the situation to be honest. Just knew the slow and wide thing you're taught for your test but I just thought 1-2mph and clutch down would be the way. But I know for future ??
Horses can get spooked by a carrier bag... they're big animals too.Best advice, as above, is stop and stop the engine too. The horse, if it's a brave one, will slowly walk past.
NAAHD said:
Hopefully you lot can advise me on what is the correct way to go about oncoming horses on a road that's not much wider than one and a half cars.
I was driving down a back road and came to a bank which I met an oncoming car so had to reverse into a farmer's driveway. But when I finally made it down, a horse rider came round the corner so naturally I slowed down to a crawling pace. But I'm too far down the bank to reverse all the way back up and there's no passing points. Just hedges either side.
Now I know you're supposed to give a couple of metres but there literally wasn't a way to do so.
The rider was giving me filthy looks as I squeezed past with about 3 inches to spare and my nearside mirror scraping off the hedges. Presumably the car I had to back up for had passed the rider also but this has got me thinking what happens when you're in a less than ideal circumstance like this?
She was going a bit crazy when I finally got past and could see her in my rear view mirror.
So if I'm unlucky enough to encounter this in the future, what should I do?
As others have said, just stop. I guess you haven't long passed your test.I was driving down a back road and came to a bank which I met an oncoming car so had to reverse into a farmer's driveway. But when I finally made it down, a horse rider came round the corner so naturally I slowed down to a crawling pace. But I'm too far down the bank to reverse all the way back up and there's no passing points. Just hedges either side.
Now I know you're supposed to give a couple of metres but there literally wasn't a way to do so.
The rider was giving me filthy looks as I squeezed past with about 3 inches to spare and my nearside mirror scraping off the hedges. Presumably the car I had to back up for had passed the rider also but this has got me thinking what happens when you're in a less than ideal circumstance like this?
She was going a bit crazy when I finally got past and could see her in my rear view mirror.
So if I'm unlucky enough to encounter this in the future, what should I do?
dibbers006 said:
On the flipside, it rankles that horses unable to deal with the mild peril of tarmac travel are regularly subjected to it. Yet it's everyone else who has to pick up the compromise.
I can't sail, so I don't take a speedboat into the Channel and expect everyone else to get out my way.
Haha, to be fair the horse seemed calmer than the lady. What I thought was funny was literally just after I got past there was a passing point but I don't think she was the type to back up lolI can't sail, so I don't take a speedboat into the Channel and expect everyone else to get out my way.
But I would like to take a speedboat into the channel
NAAHD said:
MikeM6 said:
Rozzers said:
Stop and let the horse pass you.
I'm really surprised this even needed to be said!Why wouldn't you just stop and let the horse safely pass?
As said, repeatedly. Stop, and engine off. It’s a long way to fall for the rider. An iron-clad hoof can make quite a dent, I imagine.
(Horse riders, like pedestrians, are entitled, by right, to use the road - car drivers are merely licensed to use it.)
dibbers006 said:
On the flipside, it rankles that horses unable to deal with the mild peril of tarmac travel are regularly subjected to it. Yet it's everyone else who has to pick up the compromise.
I can't sail, so I don't take a speedboat into the Channel and expect everyone else to get out my way.
I do like this analogy!!!I can't sail, so I don't take a speedboat into the Channel and expect everyone else to get out my way.
no point in switching off the engine if you have the stereo blaring OP. I guess you don't have much experience being around animals. And with horses the owners are often worse than the animals as you alluded to.
I worked for a farmer when I was 18 or so in Shefford,Beds. He told me never to marry a horsey woman as they would bleed you dry and only the pommel got them excited!
I worked for a farmer when I was 18 or so in Shefford,Beds. He told me never to marry a horsey woman as they would bleed you dry and only the pommel got them excited!
Matt_E_Mulsion said:
dibbers006 said:
On the flipside, it rankles that horses unable to deal with the mild peril of tarmac travel are regularly subjected to it. Yet it's everyone else who has to pick up the compromise.
I can't sail, so I don't take a speedboat into the Channel and expect everyone else to get out my way.
I do like this analogy!!!I can't sail, so I don't take a speedboat into the Channel and expect everyone else to get out my way.
And yes if you're the bigger more powerful more dangerous road user you'll probably have to compromise the most.
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